Yeah it was a dodgy rebuild alright. I tightened it all down then realised I'd not lubed the barrel and didn't want to cheat by squirting some up the spark plug end so had to dismantle again. But all good practice.

For clarity, I'm now back in England. The trip to Alaska was just a short lived one to complete the journey across America which I started last year. Initial plan was to drop south from there, maybe to Argentina, but a job came up here in England on one of the bike magazines and to be honest I'm that broke I didn't have much choice. And I kinda wanted to wait until I'm really psyched about doing another trip, rather than doing it for the sake of doing it.

Dot by the way is on a boat somewhere around Panama. She should be here end of July hopefully. Over the winter I'll rebuild the bottom end and make some new panniers for her, get her ready should the time come to get riding again.

Working on the second book about the America leg. Also got a chap making a documentary about the first trip, which should be interesting. It's just going to be free online and hopefully ready end of August.

So yeah, all good really.

Where are you in England anyway, I'm in Leamington Spa, in the midlands.

The mag's called Adventure Bike Rider. So I guess it's up my street really. Riding the new CCM 450 Adventure on Monday, which I'm excited about.

Do they have a four speed centrifugal clutch as well I wonder?

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Hey, good score there Nathan. Congrats! We just started getting Adventure Bike Rider UK here in the USA. I saw it at our Barnes & Noble a couple weeks ago.

Unfortunately they charge about $10 US for it I buy a Coffee and read it in the shop. Haven't got a feel for it quite yet ... but I'm a magazine addict so read most.

Hey, if your Testing new bikes you'll have to replace your Converse trainers
with some actual Moto boots! Who knows? Maybe even a real leather jacket? Having worked for the mags for years, I can tell you one UP side is the LOADS of swag you'll get. Most of it is crap ... and they'll want you to lie about it and say how great it is.

I hope that mag can hang on and survive. It's very tough out there ... and once the advertisers figure out who RTW guys really are ... (cheapskates without a penny ) they may pull up stakes. Lets hope not and hope more Ewan and Charlie types join the ranks to give ADV RTW riding proper Cred.

Yeah it was a dodgy rebuild alright. I tightened it all down then realised I'd not lubed the barrel and didn't want to cheat by squirting some up the spark plug end so had to dismantle again. But all good practice.

For clarity, I'm now back in England. The trip to Alaska was just a short lived one to complete the journey across America which I started last year. Initial plan was to drop south from there, maybe to Argentina, but a job came up here in England on one of the bike magazines and to be honest I'm that broke I didn't have much choice. And I kinda wanted to wait until I'm really psyched about doing another trip, rather than doing it for the sake of doing it.

Dot by the way is on a boat somewhere around Panama. She should be here end of July hopefully. Over the winter I'll rebuild the bottom end and make some new panniers for her, get her ready should the time come to get riding again.

Working on the second book about the America leg. Also got a chap making a documentary about the first trip, which should be interesting. It's just going to be free online and hopefully ready end of August.

So yeah, all good really.

Where are you in England anyway, I'm in Leamington Spa, in the midlands.

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Hey Nathan,

Oh man, you really need to pop south in the Americas! Very excellent! Not sure how Dot would feel about the thin air though, my bike struggled quite a bit.

Nice one with the book, number two that is! And documentary, what madness! I hope it all goes really well!

I always think shipping is a bit stoopid (well, I didn't always, I shipped my first bike foolishly), but Dot does have a rather a lot of followers now! I'll have to come see her if she returns promptly!

I'm back, in Shropshire, to visit family and look for work. It probably means another stint teaching English in S.Korea, not my work of choice but it is fairly easy to get, pays well and means I can afford my own house...because it's free! After that, buy a bike in the UK and head out, prob north Africa and then Asia....at least that what I really want to do right now, but things might change.

Hey, there is British motocross on at Hawkstone Park Aug 11th, about an hour and a half from you....I'm vehicle-less but I'll get there by hook or by crook, if you fancy coming let me know and I'll buy you a cup of hot dishwater (tea) and a bag of oily - and yummy -doughnuts!

Thanks for the messages. I still haven't registered for updates on this thread so don't get them straight away.

Trevor; I went with James Cargo, it costing £900 or thereabouts, on a boat!

I know, expensive, but needing to be back for this job I just had to abandon the bike with some very good friends in Seattle, with the cargo company's agency picking the bike up in a truck, driving it down to LA, crating it, then boating it back.

Had I ridden it down to LA and took care of all that myself it would have been ar cheaper. And to be fair, there are cheaper companies. But I trust James Cargo as they were the ones that flew the bike out to NY and they did a grand job. And I'm good friends with the guy there (Giles) so trusted them to get her back safe.

Vtwin... yeah Leamington's a funny old place. Lots of grand houses, like you get in London, but it's in the Midlands, with lots of students living here. A real mix of people. But I do like walking in to town and through the parks. It's got a good atmosphere.

Klous-1, mate it didn't click with your first message (I had brain fade) that you were the Klous, motorcycle adventurer extraordinaire. Would be a pleasure to catch up mate, and tea would be on me. If you need somewhere to crash head over. And if I can get to motocross then I will. How long do you think you're back for? And where's Shropshire? (just checked and it's just to the west of me, far side of Birmingham. We're not far away at all)

Like so many others, I have been following along and although this adventure was started some years ago now, I feel I must add my thanks for taking us along. There are MANY fantastic reads here in the ADV community and we enjoy them all for different reasons but the way you write some of this stuff sends my mind into a spin and I find myself really "feeling" your journey! THIS IS FREAKIN' EPIC dude! Right on!

Planning, we skipped that part. Who needs it. If theres something you want to do just do it. Hurdles and barriers. theres always a way. And while you might scream shut the fuck up for going on a lecture I think its time I used this trip to deliver my little message. I am the Postman after all. And that is just go off and do whatever it is you want to do. Dont let nothing stop you, not a thing. Wade on, find a way, wrestle with the reasons and excuses why you cant and then bury them in the bin.

If me and Dorothy hadnt have done that wed have been left asking what if, what if we had have embarked on our global adventure. What would we have seen, what would we have done. And now, by kicking our excuses square in the bollocks, we have seen, we have done. And wherever the next stage of our journey takes us, be it England or some place other, we can stand pretty damn proud that weve given it the biggest bloody go we ever could.

Klous-1, mate it didn't click with your first message (I had brain fade) that you were the Klous, motorcycle adventurer extraordinaire. Would be a pleasure to catch up mate, and tea would be on me. If you need somewhere to crash head over. And if I can get to motocross then I will. How long do you think you're back for? And where's Shropshire? (just checked and it's just to the west of me, far side of Birmingham. We're not far away at all)

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Not sure....doesn't sound like me....Anyway, that's okay, we've only written once, maybe twice before, I think. Anyway, if I ever get a job, and hence a set of wheels I'll be over in a jiffy and take you up on the cuppa. Whilst we're at it, we can pull out a map of the UK and I'll show you where Shropshire is...blinkin heck, how did you find your way home from Australia?! Just kidding! Still, we do seem to be the county that Britain forgot...actually when you cross over into Shropshire it's a war zone, there's no fuel, no tv, internet, corruption is rife if you're lucky you might find some food, we still eat people.

I very sadly won't be at the moto-x, but if you can get there I really recommend it, the track is a beaut called "The Hill". However, it is in Shropshire, so pack some sandwiches and plenty of fuel....and a gun....and a gps!

Anyways, maybe see you down the road, all the best with all, I'll keep an eye on your progress.
Nick

After signing off the other day I said to myself I wouldn't post again. Get my head down instead. But I've just checked the forum and my personal account and feel I need to, because I'm a little fucked off.

People somehow feel I need to justify my actions, some feel I've done a runner with peoples cash and with a book deal in the bag I don't need you guys any more.

First things first, I don't have a book deal. There was only talk of one with a publisher and nothing has come of it. So you can forget that speculation.

Secondly, the money that's been donated is in the process of being handed back. And as you lose something in the transaction with paypal that's actually costing me money. But I didn't feel it right to take peoples money in the first place and this was a great opportunity to reclaim some ground. So to those comparing me to this fella above I hope your canoe sinks.

Thirdly, I don't need to sort my head out. My head is fine. I've just hit a point where the consequences of me telling my story online was really going beyond the point of what I was comfortable with. Not just the occassional dig but other things, things I won't divulge.

I've even suspended my Facebook account and won't be adding to the website for a while. So don't think it's just you guys. In front of my lies Pakistan and a whole bunch of places I know fuck all about. To be fighitng online battles with peope is not what I want or need. Nor am I glad I'm having to be writing this now, not when there's a million and one other things that still need to be done to make China happen.

Since my sign off post I've had some awesome comments withing me well and looking forward to my return and I'm completely and utterly grateful to those with that understanding. But to those subsequently judging my actions and speculating the worse - and perhaps now calling me ungrateful -then you're the main reason I'm signing off in the bloody first place.

Some people think that because they've invested so much time into reading this thread that they own part of me, own part of the trip - it's why I was never comfortably accepting donations as I saw them as shares - and they don't. This is my ADVRider thread that until now I'd like to think we've both been getting something out of - you got to read about my trip, I got a wealth support and best wishes from new friends - But when I started getting the hassle and aggro and distraction from a trip that finally does need some planning, being active on here was no longer in our best interests. So I pulled the plug.

Some people have respected that and wished me well, others not so much.

So let the arseholes fire away with any further speculation, coomparissons or venom because i won't be logging on or checking the forum until Turkey. From there I'll post with the hope that those I consider friends will still want to read. Sadly after this rant you probably won't...

Safe riding to all.

Nate and Dotorthy

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After spending the last 13 months on my Adventure Ride RTW, I think I can say better than most here that I know how you are feeling. I like your path.......make it your own and don't look back over your shoulder.